We are thrilled to launch our brand-new podcast dedicated to all things L&D, Learning Matters, on April 16th! But before we dive into the exciting content we have lined up; we want you to meet the amazing individual behind the mic – Doug Wooldridge. In this interview, Doug shares his background in the L&D world, his passion for fostering a love of learning, and what excites him most about guiding you through insightful conversations on the Learning Matters podcast. So, settle in and get ready to be inspired by the host leading the charge on our new adventure.
Welcome aboard, Doug! Can you tell us a bit about your background and what drew you to the world of learning and development?
I come from an audio engineering background, so the first thing that drove me to L&D was voice over recording for some of ttc’s clients. I then began taking on a few IOD roles as producer for various clients and initiatives. My biggest draw to learning and development is that, while we are working on deliverables for our clients, it’s all about the learner. At the end of the day our work impacts the success of someone’s first day in their new career, someone’s ability to take in massive orgwide changes in technology, a leadership team’s ability to go above and beyond; the stories and situations are endless, but the learner is what matters the most.
Learning Matters is all about fostering a love for learning. What excites you most about hosting a podcast dedicated to L&D?
While the learner is what matters most to us as far as delivering the training goes, I want to hear from the folks that are developing that training or making it possible to connect those developers and designers to the client. I’m interested in getting to the real meat of what drives folks who are on the vanguard of this industry and see where it is that they’re taking L&D and what tools or philosophies they use to help push the envelope.
What are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities you see in the L&D field today?
I think the challenges and the opportunities are the same; new tools like AI, and the incredible speed at which learners, clients, and Instructional Designers or Learning Experience Designers have to adapt. While these new tools and ideas about learning can be incredibly impactful, they can also be a roadblock to meeting deadlines and getting new training off the ground. You have to find a balance with the endless creative abilities of these tools and the necessity of meeting deadlines. It can be a real challenge for folks. It’s almost like when you go to a restaurant and they have 200 options on the menu, how do you even begin to choose between all those options?
Can you give our audience a sneak peek at some of the interesting guests and topics we can expect on Learning Matters?
Our goal is to find a nice blend of industry experts across all fields of this industry. So folks from our ttc and Dashe team, leaders in instructional design, and people that are developing the community of learning and development to help bring all these new technologies and ideas to the table so anyone, from SR IDs to folks just starting out, can have access to the newest and most exciting changes within adult learning.
Beyond the podcast, what are your favorite ways to stay up to date on the latest trends and innovations in L&D?
Our team does a fantastic job keeping up with trends via our newsletter, The Buzz. There’s also great resources like Training Industry, ATD, Training Journal, and the like that do a solid job of highlighting what’s out there.
When you are not guiding us through the ever-evolving world of L&D on Learning Matters, what do you enjoy doing to unwind and recharge?
I’m a big movie and TV buff. So when I’m not out hiking/skiing the front range of Colorado, I’m usually snuggled up on the couch with my lovely wife and German Shepard watching something fun on the big screen with a fire going and an incredible view of the northern portion of the front range next to us. I’m also a big fan of KC BBQ (my wife and I are both originally from the Kansas City area) so I like to spend a lot of time keeping the fire in my smoker stoked with a bunch of meat slowly cooking. It’s a lot of fun unless the black bears or mountain lions come by to see what’s cooking.
We can’t wait for you to tune in to Learning Matters on April 16th! In the meantime, watch the trailer below for a sneak peek, and sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know.
